Edna voters will decide if new high school will be built

You should knowBuilding for Tomorrow's Cowboys will meet at Edna high school at 7 p.m. Monday.

The group will discuss plans to build a new high school that would replace the current building.

The meeting is open to the public, and Edna residents are asked to attend.

EDNA - A community-based group wants to help the Edna school district's quest for a new high school.

The 30-member committee named Building for Tomorrow's Cowboys, began meeting last Monday to create awareness about building the project.

Jose Rodriguez, a committee member, said the high school desperately needs a facelift.

"It's an old building, it was built in 1952," he said. "It's outdated and needs to be replaced."

Voters will decide on Nov. 2 if that will happen.

Voters will be asked to approve an $11.9 million bond package that would help pay down the estimated project cost of about $15.9 million.

A portion of the bond would include a no, or low-interest federal loan of $5.5 million and the remaining costs will be funded through the school's fund balance.

A tax rate increase is likely, but will not exceed 21 cents per $100 property valuation.

Edna Superintendent Bob Wells said it would cost about the same amount to remodel the current high school, so it makes sense to build a new one.

"To renovate the current high school to teach in the 21st century is about as expensive as leveling the building and starting over," Wells said. "And if we refurbish it, we may only get 10 years out of it," he said.

If the vote passes in November, Wells said they could break ground on the new high school in the spring, and be ready to open in fall of 2012.

The new high school project is part of the School Board's Long Range Facility Plan, which also included improvements to the elementary and middle schools in recent years.